Enugu inaugurates c’ttee on minimum wage

Enugu state workers will soon smile as the state government has moved to implement the N30, 000 new minimum wage signed into law in April by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The state government at the weekend inaugurated an 11-man committee comprising six government officials and five labour leaders to brainstorm on the consequential salary adjustment on the new wage.

Those to negotiate on government side include the Secretary to the State Government, Commissioner for Labour and Productivity; Commissioner for Finance; Commissioner for Budget and Planning; Accountant-General of the state and permanent secretary, economic affairs; office of the
secretary to the government, who will serve as secretary; while the Labour is represented by Comrade Chukwuma Igbokwe, Comrade Jude Ugwuoke, Comrade Anthony Ugwu, Comrade Nnubia C.I and Comrade Tim Ojielo Ezea.

The committee will also review the implication of paying the 13th month salary in line with general economic circumstances of the state.

Briefing newsmen on the development, the chairman Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Igbokwe said the state government took the action following a letter to the government by the council on the issue.


In the letter, the organised labour reiterated its willingness to partner with the state government through the negotiating council to ensure a smooth implementation of the new minimum wage.

Igbokwe assured workers in the state that the implementation
of N30, 000 new minimum wage approved by the federal government would soon take off in Enugu state “as the governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi  has  put in place procedures for that purpose.”

The implementation of the new minimum wage has been a source of nightmare to virtually all the state governors across the country.

The labour union had recently warned that it would shut down any state that failed to conclude all negotiations on the ‘consequential adjustment’ and begin full implementation of the new wage by December 31. It said organised labour would not guarantee industrial harmony in any state that failed to implement the new wage.

The congress stated that organised labour in the states would work in harmony to ensure that all workers enjoyed the new national minimum wage.

Meanwhile, five state governors have started paying the new N30, 000 minimum wage to their workers. They include Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Jigawa.